Inter-faith couple’s passports rejected, husband told to convert

A Noida couple has alleged humiliation and harrassment at a local Passport office due to their inter-faith marriage. As per the woman, Tanvi Seth, an official asked her to change her name and religion in order to get a passport. Angered by official’s behavior, Seth took to twitter and narrated her ordeal to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.

OUTRAGEOUS: Passport application of Hindu lady rejected for retaining her original name after marrying a Muslim man in Lucknow. Her husband says: "When the officer read the spouse’s name as Mohd Anas Siddiqui, he started shouting at her and said she should not have married me.

“Ma’am I never ever imagined that in a place like passport office we would have people who are moral policing the citizens. He dint just put my passport on hold he even put my husband’s @5220manas passport on hold. This is clear grudge,” Tanvi wrote on Twitter tagging Sushma Swaraj.

@SushmaSwaraj Ma’am I never ever imagined that in a place like passport office we would have a people who are moral policing the citizens. He dint just put my passport on hold he even put my husband’s @5220manas passport on hold. This is clear grudge. I was shocked at this 1/2

“I was shocked at this behaviour. I have never felt so insulted in the last 12 years of my marriage with my husband,” she said. Tanvi, who is married to Anas Siddiqui, said that
it is her personal choice to choose a name after marriage. “This is our family matter and last thing I expected to hear at the passport office was it is your duty to change your name after marriage,” she said.

@SushmaSwaraj behaviour. I have never felt so insulted in the last 12 years of my marriage with my husband. It is my personal choice to choose a name I want to after marriage. This is our family matter and last thing I expected to hear at the passport office was 2/3

“The person who spoke to my husband later said if your wife’s case would have come to me there wouldn’t have been issues because her papers are complete,” she added.

@SushmaSwaraj it is your duty to change your name after marriage. The person who spoke to my husband later said if your wife’s case would have come to me there wouldn’t have been issues because her papers are complete.

Speaking to media, Tanvi’s husband, Anas Siddiqui alleged that he was asked to change his religion and take ‘pheras’ as per Hindu rituals. “I was told I should change my religion & take ‘pheras’,” he said at a press conference held at the Regional Passport Office in Lucknow on Thursday.

“We hope it doesn’t happen to anyone else, in 11 yrs of marriage we never faced such humiliation. Later officials apologized and we got our passports,” Tanvi told media in Lucknow.

Also present in the meeting, Regional Passport Officer, Lucknow said that passports have been issued and a showcause notice has been issued to the official who was at fault. “Action will lso be taken. We regret the incident and will ensure it is not repeated,” he said.